Spearmon Clocks Third-Best Time Ever in the 200 Meters

BY ANDRES FOCIL

Fayetteville, Ark. – Former UA standout Wallace Spearmon, Jr. clocked a 19.65, the third-fastest time ever, in the 200 meters on Thursday in front of nearly 50,000 fans at the 2006 Daegu International Meeting in Daegu, South Korea.

Spearmon’s time of 19.65 is the third-fastest time in history, trailing only Michael Johnson, who set the world record of 19.32 in winning the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and Xavier Carter, who ran 19.63 on July 11, 2006 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Spearmon’s performance takes over third place on the all-time performers list from his former teammate Tyson Gay, who ran 19.68 in Stuttgart on September 10, 2006. Namibia’s Frank Fredericks also clocked 19.68 in 1996.

Prior to the Daegu International Meeting, Spearmon had clocked times of 19.88 in Stuttgart on Sept. 10 and a 19.87 at the IAAF World Cup in Athens.

Spearmon’s time of 19.65 is also the second-fastest run by an American and in the world this season. Spearmon sits at second behind Carter’s 19.63.